They have been touted by some as the cheap and eco-friendly future of energy.
But many of Britain’s solar panels are not actually generating as much power as they could – because they are facing the wrong way, an expert has warned.
Angling solar panels in an alternating east and west-facing formation, rather than in rows facing directly towards the south, would actually increase the amount of electricity generated overall.
Such a formation means they do not need to be spaced out, as there would be a reduction in shadow. This allows them to be active for a longer period each day.
It would also cut the risk of disruption to the National Grid, says Ralph Gottschalg, of Loughborough University, who is working on a UK-wide project aiming to answer a number of questions relating to the production of energy through solar panels.
Read more: The great solar panel blunder? Instead of south, we should point them east and west, says academic | Daily Mail Online
But many of Britain’s solar panels are not actually generating as much power as they could – because they are facing the wrong way, an expert has warned.
Angling solar panels in an alternating east and west-facing formation, rather than in rows facing directly towards the south, would actually increase the amount of electricity generated overall.
Such a formation means they do not need to be spaced out, as there would be a reduction in shadow. This allows them to be active for a longer period each day.
It would also cut the risk of disruption to the National Grid, says Ralph Gottschalg, of Loughborough University, who is working on a UK-wide project aiming to answer a number of questions relating to the production of energy through solar panels.
Read more: The great solar panel blunder? Instead of south, we should point them east and west, says academic | Daily Mail Online